As more and more people gain access to safe relief from pain with medical marijuana, BesaMe Wellness Medical Marijuana Dispensaries have opened in multiple locations around the Kansas City area. There are nine locations in Missouri.
Vice president Joey Pintozzi started his work in Missouri with the first BesaMe Wellness store on Dec. 4, 2021. Transportation director Aaron Turvey, who heads up the home-delivery service, began his journey into medical marijuana with BesaMe Wellness on Dec. 4, 2020 when the first store opened in Smithville.
“I have been a lifetime medical consumer and advocate since the mid ‘90s,” Turvey said.
Pintozzi believes Missouri has done the right thing in allowing people the access to medicinal marijuana.
“Medical marijuana is changing peoples’ lives for the better. Whether it’s our veterans community, those suffering from chronic pain, those combating or recovering from cancer, or mental health struggles like that of anxiety or depression. There is no greater feeling than helping someone improve their quality of life.”
Turvey wholeheartedly believes that the easing of social stigmas has allowed unprecedented access for victims of chronic pain, opioid users and those who suffer from mental illness such as anxiety and depression.
“We love getting out into our communities and educating people about the benefits of medical marijuana,” Pintozzi said. “We call it having a simple ‘cannabis conversation’ with people. Most communities have been welcoming and are eager to learn, and there are still many who could benefit from cannabis who still don’t know it’s a legal industry here in Missouri.”
Turvey also believes the ‘conversation’ is the most important part of exploring and understanding the positive possibilities of medical marijuana.
“It all starts with a conversation,” he said. “Where that conversation begins could be the dispensary floor, the office cooler, or the dinner table, but patience, understanding, listening and medical evidence are at the core of our educational experience.”
Misconceptions continue about the use of medicinal marijuana.
BesaMe vice president Joey Pintozzi
“I think the biggest misconception is that only ‘stoners’ use or consume marijuana of any sort,” Pintozzi said. “Instead, this plant is used by people of all walks of life. Life changing. Life improving. There are so many motivated and successful people I encounter everyday who use cannabis to not only treat their ailments, but better their lives.”
For Turvey, the ‘dazed and confused’ stereotype of all cannabis consumers being stoners is the biggest misconception.
“You’d be surprised how many grandparents are actually taking edibles to help them deal with chronic issues or to sleep easily through the night,” Turvey said.
Medical marijuana can provide relief for anxiety, pain, insomnia, PTSD and many other medical conditions.
“We see a great deal of cancer patients coming in for relief and to improve appetite,” Pintozzi said.
Turvey said those who suffer from depression, digestive issues, chronic pain, chemotherapy nausea, joint inflammation and neuropathy, just to name a few of the health problems, can also find great relief.
For people who would like to begin the process of receiving medical marijuana, first they need to apply for and obtain a Missouri Medical Card.
“We can help anyone obtain this document at any of our statewide locations at no cost (excluding state fees),” Pintozzi said. “We’re more than happy to answer any and all questions.”
The process for obtaining a medical marijuana card can be navigated online without much trouble.
“For those that may have questions or just want it to be as painless as possible, all BesaMe Wellness locations have expertly trained staff that will walk anyone through step-by-step,” Turvey said. “Call us at (816) 775-2920 or visit us in-store to learn more.”
Doctors don’t call in the prescriptions for medical marijuana to the dispensaries. A current state-issued medical card allows the patient access to the dispensaries.
“The patient has a one-on-one conversation with our award-winning staff members to go over treatment options best suited for their needs,” Pintozzi said.
The greatest hope of the staff members at the dispensaries is that medical marijuana will help stem the opioid problems across the country.
“I believe that as people become more educated on the benefits of medical marijuana, they will see the upside and power of the plant,” Pintozzi said. “We know that opioids can easily destroy lives and are highly addictive. A person will not experience any of this with medical marijuana, only the relief they seek.”
Turvey said the data collected from mature markets show enormous relief for the affected opioid-addicted populations.
“Additionally, cannabis-knowledgeable physicians are able to prescribe less opioids for everyday pain relief to patients, preventing the dangerous addictive cycle from starting,” Turvey said.
Patients can obtain a medical card at any age with the approval of a doctor. Minors need their parents or legal guardian to become a caregiver to purchase from BesaMe stores.
“We frequently help parents with their children suffering from chronic ailments or recovery treatments and encourage them to reach out to us with any questions,” Turvey said.
For more information, go to besamewellness.com.